# SEC Football: Kentucky Wildcats Defeats South Carolina Gamecocks 35-34 **Published:** 2026-10-03 — **By:** Stacy Stanfield **Category:** games — **Type:** game-recap **Source:** https://secscouts.com/news/sec-football-kentucky-wildcats-defeats-south-carolina-gamecocks-35-34 **Teams:** [Kentucky](https://secscouts.com/kentucky/), [South Carolina](https://secscouts.com/south-carolina/) --- COLUMBIA, S.C. (10/01/2026) — The Kentucky Wildcats left Williams-Brice Stadium with a one-point SEC road win on Thursday night, beating the South Carolina Gamecocks 35-34 in front of 77,808 fans. Kentucky quarterback Kenny Minchey threw for 272 yards and accounted for three touchdowns. The Wildcats held on even though South Carolina gained more total yards. ## Result Lead Few conference games get closer than this one. Kentucky won by a single point in one of the loudest road venues in the SEC, and it did it with ball control and an efficient passing game. South Carolina put up 458 total yards to Kentucky's 394. The Wildcats still had more first downs (25 to 21), kept the ball longer (33:29 to 26:31) and scored one more point than the Gamecocks. The Wildcats leave Columbia with a conference road win in a game they did not control statistically from start to finish. For South Carolina, a strong offensive output at home ended in a one-point loss on a Thursday night. ## How It Happened Kentucky relied on its passing game. Minchey completed 28 of 41 passes for 272 yards. The Wildcats also ran for 122 yards, enough balance to keep drives going. Their 25 first downs show an offense that moved steadily down the field instead of depending on big plays. South Carolina did most of its damage on the ground. The Gamecocks ran for 232 yards, more than half of their 458-yard total, and added 226 passing yards on 20-of-37 passing. They also converted eight third downs to Kentucky's four, which kept their drives alive and put pressure on the Wildcats' defense all night. The scoring went back and forth, with the teams combining for 69 points. Kicker and scoring contributions mattered on both sides. Adam Zouagui scored nine points for Kentucky, and Malik Orsan led South Carolina with 10 points. With the final margin at one point, every point either team scored or missed affected the result. Each defense got to the opposing quarterback once. Grant Godfrey recorded a sack for Kentucky, and Caleb Herring had one for South Carolina. ## Turning Point Turnovers are the clearest difference in the box score. South Carolina gained 64 more yards than Kentucky and rushed for 110 more, but it lost the ball twice. In a game decided by one point, two lost possessions were too many for the Gamecocks to overcome. Kentucky's time of possession also mattered. The Wildcats held the ball for 33:29, nearly seven minutes more than South Carolina. That kept the Gamecocks' rushing attack off the field for long stretches and limited how many chances South Carolina had to turn its yardage into points. ## Star of the Game **Kenny Minchey, QB, Kentucky** Minchey led the Wildcats' offense in a tough road setting. He went 28-of-41 for 272 yards and accounted for three touchdowns, completing just over 68 percent of his passes. All of Kentucky's passing yards came from him, and his efficiency kept the chains moving against a South Carolina defense that had a big crowd behind it. LaNorris Sellers also had a productive night for South Carolina. He threw for 226 yards and accounted for two touchdowns while the Gamecocks ran the ball effectively around him. His team came up one point short. ## What It Means For Kentucky, a win at Williams-Brice in October is a valuable addition to the SEC résumé. The Wildcats showed they can win on the road even when outgained by controlling the ball, protecting possessions and getting efficient play at quarterback. Minchey's performance gives Kentucky a reliable passing game to build on during the rest of conference play. For South Carolina, the loss is a hard one because so much went right. A 232-yard rushing night and eight third-down conversions usually give a team a strong chance to win at home. The two turnovers were the difference, and cleaning up ball security will be the priority for the Gamecocks. Both teams leave with a clearer picture of who they are. Kentucky is a composed, ball-control team that can win close games, and South Carolina has a rushing attack that can move the ball against SEC defenses. On Thursday night in Columbia, the Wildcats won by one point. --- *Original article: [SEC Football: Kentucky Wildcats Defeats South Carolina Gamecocks 35-34](https://secscouts.com/news/sec-football-kentucky-wildcats-defeats-south-carolina-gamecocks-35-34) — SEC Scouts*